Breech-closing mechanism for ordnance.



No. 673,702. I Patented May 7, IQGI. m. DABMANCIER & DALZON. BREECHCLOSING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANGE.

(Application filed Oct. 24, 1898.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet I.

g No. 673,702. Patented May 7, I90l.

m. DARMANCIER & A. DALZON. BREEGH GLOSINGMECHANISM FOR ORDNANCE.

1 (Application filed Oct. 24, 1398. v I (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

No. 673,702. Patented May 7, l90l. M. DARMANCIEB & A. DALZON.

BREECH CLOSING MECHANISM FOB ORDNANCE.

(Application filed Oct. 24, 189B.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

I l nventors Jl o/galjwzwmreaen 222a flazzow. fay MM Witnesses rueNORRIS FETiRS co. worau'ma. wAsnmarcNtm c.

No. 673,702. Patented May 7, 19m.

- m. DARMANCIER & A. DALZDN.

BBEECH CLOSING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANCE.

(Application filed Oct. 24, 1898.) (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Wilnesses: J Z ZJInvnEc ms 1 W QQMW u zj gfi ms NORRIS PETERS 00.,PHa-rouwcx, WASNINGTON, u. c.

No. 673,702. Patented May 7, mm.

m. nAnmAmclsn & A DALZON. BREECH CLOSING MECHANISM FOR URDNANCE.

. (Application filed Ot. 24,;1898.) (No Model.)

5 slimy-sheet 5.

, lmrenlzors;

THE nonms nzfens 4:0 wonpuma. WASHINOTOMD. c.

ATE

T FFIQFN MICHEL DARMANOIER AND AIME DALZON, OF ST. OHAMOND, FRANCE.

BREECH-CLOSING MECHANISM FOR ORDNANCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 673,702, dated May 7,1901.

Application filed October 24, 1898. Serial No. 694,430. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern..-

Be it known that we, MICHEL DARMANCIER and AIME DALZON, engineers,citizens of the Republic of France, residing at St. Chamond, Loire,France, have invented new and useful Improvements in Breech-ClosingMechanism for Ordnance, of which the following, taken in connection withthe accompanying drawings, is a specification.

This invention relates to breech-closing mechanism for ordnance of allcalibers; and it has for its chief objects, first, to enable the breechto be opened or closed by causing an operatingshaft supported by the gunto be turned in one or the other direction, and, secondly, to preventpremature firing and the swinging back of the breech-block duringfiring.

The annexed drawings represent two constructive arrangements of theimproved mechanism.

Figures 1 to 6, inclusive, relate to one arrangement, Fig. 1 being arear view of the breech mechanism, the breech-block being closed. Fig. 2is a horizontal section on the line A B of Fig. 1, the breech-blockbeing shown in plan. Fig. 3 is a rear view of the mechanism after thecompletion of the rotation of the breech-block, the first stage ofopening. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line C D of Fig. 3, thebreech-block being in plan. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section correspondingto Fig. 4, showing the breech-block at the completion of its rearwardmovement, the second stage of opening. Fig. 6 is a corresponding view toFig. 5, showing the breechblock swung around and the breech fully open,the third and final stage of opening. Figs. 7 to 12, inclusive, arerespectively analogous views representing the second arrangement. Fig.13 is a part sectional view, on a larger scale, of the breech mechanismshown in Fig. 1, a part of the breech-block and of the carrier-ringbeing broken away inorder to exhibit the catch and pawl mechanism.

The following description is applicable to both arrangements:

1 is the breech, and 2 the operating-shaft, by a continuous rotation ofwhich the breech mechanism is operated. This shaft is worked by a crank3 or by a motor and has keyed on it two bevel-pinions 4 and 5. Thepinion 4 gearswith a bevel-wheel 6, mounted on an axis 7, parallel withthe axis of the breechblock 8 and carrying a pinion 9, meshing with atoothed sector 10 on the breech-block. The pinion 5 gears with abevel-wheel 11, mount ed on the hinge-bolt 12, on which is keyed apinion 13, capable of gearing with a rack 14, out on the breech-block 8.The shaft 2 and the bolt 12 are fixed to the gun by suitable. bracketsor supports. The crank 3 is movable longitudinally on the square end 15of the shaft 2, and when the breech is closed ongages in a safety-jaw16, which prevents it from turning.

The breech-block 8 is provided with a projection 17, adapted to abutagainst a stop 18 on the carrier-ring 19, which also carries a shoulder20 and a stud 21, the nose of which engages either in a circumferentialor transversal groove 22 or in a longitudinal groove 23 in thebreech-block. The said block, which may or may not be cylindrical, isprovided with an interrupted screw, the threads of which may be eitherright or left handed.

In a recess in the carrier-ring 19 is located acatch 24,which is pressedtoward the breechblock by a spring 25. The inner end 26 of this catch isadapted to enter either a circumferential groove 27 or a recess 28 inthe breech-block. When the said end of the catch is not resting ineither one or the other, its outer end 29 enters a cavity 30 in aprojection 31 of the breech.

In the connection with the catch 24 is a pawl 32, Fig. 13, which ismovable around a pivot 33. This pawl hasa rounded nose working in anotch in the end 26 of the catch 24, and it has also a tail 34, capableof rising up an incline cut in the projection on the ace of the breech.

To prevent premature firing and the swinging back of the breech-block,the latter,which is traversed by a vent 36, has a T-shaped groove 37, inwhich is fitted a safety-slide 38, adapted to cover this vent. Thisslide carries the whole or a part of the devices necessary for firing bypercussion or by electricity and terminates in a lateral projection orheel 3.9, having a bevel edge 40, capable of entering a recess 41,formed with an inclined face 42 in the carrier-ring 19. The safety-slide38 also carries an arm or projection 43, adapted to come into contactwith a lever 44, pivoted at 45 to the gun. This lever carries a stud 46,engaging in a groove 47 in the boss of the crank 3.

A locking rod or blade 48 is situated in a longitudinal groove in thebreech-block and is connected to it by a pin 49. This rod terminates ina milled head 50, by which it can be lifted slightly when the breech isclosed. It can also engage in one or the other of two notches 51 and 52in the slide 38, and will remain locked in the latter notch by theinternal wall of the upper plain portion or sector 53 of thecarrier-ring 19, the edge of which is beveled at 54, so as to press thesaid rod or blade 48 fully into its groove before it is locked thereinby the said upper plain sector.

The working of the mechanism is as follows,it being assumed that thebreech is closed and the parts in the position represented in Fig. lz'Toopen the breech, the crank 3 is drawn or slid to the right to release itfrom the jaw 16 and is then turned on the shaft 2. This movement firstproduces the partial rotation of the breech-block on itself through themedium of the pinion 4 and the wheel 6 and of the pinion 9 in gear withthe toothed sector 10. The pinion 5 and the Wheel 11 also cause thehinge-bolt 12 to turn idly, as the pinion 13 has not yet come intoengagement with the rack 14. The rotation of the breech-block 8 isarrested directly the projection 17 strikes against the stop 18. Duringthis first phase the wedge-like groove 27,sliding over the end 26 of thecatch, has pushed back thislatter into its groove and has caused theouter end 29 to enter into the cavity 30, thus locking the carrier-ringto the breech. At the same time the groove 22 has traveled along thenose of the stud 21, so that the latter is in line with the groove 23.Directly the rotation-of the breechblock 8 is completed its rearwardsliding movement commences, for the pinion 13 gears with the rack 14 andthe sector 10 is thrown out of gear with the pinion 9. As soon, however,as the forward end of the groove 23 comes against the nose of the stud21 the sliding movement of the breech-block ceases,Fig. 5, while therecess 28, Fig. 3, comes exactly opposite the end 26 of the catch 24.From this moment the breechblock 8 being unable to turn on itself or tomove backward a swinging movement of the whole arrangement around thebolt 12 follows, the pinion 13 moving the carrier-ring 19 by means ofthe breech-block itself. At the start of the rotation of thecarrier-ring 19 the tail 34 of the pawl 32 descends the incline on thebreech and permits the projection 26 of the catch 24 to enter the cavity28, thus connecting the breech-block 8 rigidly with the carrier-ring andrendering possible the movement of this ring by the pinion 13 on thecommencement of the closing movement of the breech. Sim ultaneouslytherewith the means for preventing premature firing and the swingingback of the breech-block operate as follows:

On the commencement of the opening the necessary motion of the crank 3to the right causes the lever 44 to oscillate and brings it into theposition shown in Fig. 3. This movement is transmitted by the arm 43 tothe safety-slide 38, the bevel 40 of which comes in front of the incline42, up which it rises, thus continuing to draw the slide 38 to the rightuntil the bevel is disengaged from the'incline. The slide 38 is thusheld away from the center of the breech-block by the external edge ofthe carrier-ring 19. At the same time the locking rod or blade 48, whichis raised out of the notch 51 by the displacement of the slide hasfallen back into the notch 52, and when the rotation of the breechblockis almost completed the said rod encounters the incline 54, which pushesit back into its groove, whereupon the sector 53 looks it securelytherein, as described. The slide is thus absolutely fixed relatively tothe breech-block 8 during the entire rearward movement of the latter andits rotation around the hinge-bolt.

To close the breech, the shaft 2 is turned.

in the contrary direction. From the beginning of the movement, thebreech-block 8 being rigidly connected with the carrier-ring 10, thewhole arrangement under the action of the pinion 13 turns around thebolt 12 until the front face of the carrier-ring 19 comes against therear face of the gun. Thereupcn the catch 32, the tail 34 of which hasonly then ridden up the incline on the breech, has caused the catch 24to reenter into its cavity and disengaged its end 26 from the recess 28,thus causing its other end to lock the carrierring 19 to the breech andrendering possible the forward movement of the breech-block,

which movement isimparted to it by the pinion 13, gearing with the rack14, and is limited by the projection 17 abutting against thecarrier-ring. The toothed sector 10 then comes into gear with the pinion9 and the breech-block 8 receives its movement of rotation, limited bythe projection 17 abutting against the stop 20. The breech being nowclosed, the crank must be pushed fully to the left, both to cause it toengage in the jaw 16 and prevent it being turned during firing and topermit subsequent firing. The slide 38, indeed, has been rendered freeto be moved only when the closing movement has been completed and theheel 39 returned opposite the recess 42; but to enable the firing to bebrought about the locking rod or blade 48 must be raised so as to permitthe slide 38 to be pushed back fully to the left. Now this movement ofthe slide is only possible when the lever 44 has resumed the positionindicated in Fig. 1 and which can only take place when the crank 3 hasbeen previously en tirely pushed to the left. Premature firing is thusrendered impossible so long as the breech has not been completelyclosed-that is to say, the crank 3 properly engaged in the jaw 16.Moreover, when theslide 38 is pushed to the left its heel 39 engages inthe recess 41 IIO of the carrier-ring, and thus acts as a key forconnecting the breech-block with the carrierring and preventing theswinging to open the breech-block.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 1 to 6 the axis 7 is rigidly connectedwith the gun.- The wheel 6 therefore remains permanently in gear withthe pinion 4, and only the sector 10 is disengaged from the pinion 9.

The arrangement shown in Figs. 7 to -12 differs from the preceding onlyby reason of the axis 7 being secured to the carrier-ring 19. The wheel6 is therefore disengaged from the pinion 4, and thus ceases to be inconnection with the shaft 2, the toothed sector 10 being likewisedisengaged from the pinion 9. The working of this second arrangement is,however, substantially the same as the first one. In both these examplesthe working of the breech necessitates longitudinal movement of thebreech-block, but our mechanism is equally applicable to breech-blocksin which such movement is unnecessary. In this case the mechanism wouldbe simplified by dispensing with the rack on the breech-block and itspinion.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our saidinvention and in what manner the same is to be performed, we declarethat what we claim is 1. In a breech mechanism for ordnance, thecombination with the breech-block provided with a suitable groove, thegearing for effecting longitudinal and swinging movements of inposition, and means suitably connected to the gun, operated by saidcrank and engaging said projection for actuating said slide.

2. In a breech mechanism for ordnance, the combination with thebreech-block, the carrier-ring, the gearing foroperating said block, theoperating-shaft for the gearing and the crank for the shaft, of thesafety-slide mounted in the breech-block and suitably extendingtherefrom, a projection formed integral with the extended end of saidslide, a locking-rod arranged in the breech-block and adapted to engagesaid slide for retaining the same in position, and a lever pivotallyconnected to the gun, operated by said crank arm and adapted to engagesaid projection to actuate said slide.

3. In a breech mechanism, a crank for operating a gearing for impartinga suitable movement to a breech-block, a safety-slide adapted to bemounted in the breech-block, a locking-rod secured within thebreech-block and adapted to engage said slide for retaining the same inposition, a projection connected to the outer end of said safety-slide,a lever pivoted to a gun and adapted to engage said projection andactuate said slide when the lever is operated, and means carried bysaid,

lever and engaging said crank for imparting movement. to the former whenthe latter is operated.

In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presenceof twowitnesses.

MICHEL DARMANOIER. AIME DALZON.

Witnesses:

J. PENEF, PETEL.

